Back up at the shoot

[Baldcoot 2,352]

On the way had this sunset, after 3 hours of constant drizzle swam home.

Should have known the weather people lied again, no rain till 4am.

Not in my world

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Well I was up at 3.30am and set up on the ground for just after 4. Misty grey morning and birds still in bed. It's not ideal where I was shooting as the birds were coming from behind me and spotting me in the hide. I had to take kneeling shots but still shot well. No birds decoyed at all I had to rely on my trusty jackdaw caller and call them in. Great few hours shooting and packed up once the public started appearing.  Bag of 45 .....42 corvids , 1 magpie, 2 woodies. Couldnt pick many as dropped into cover behind me or in the barley.

[Dervburner 2,548]

Good shooting Mark

[Stavross 13,714]

Up at the sheep farm this evening, mainly to show my face, check the deer situation and have a call for a bit on the grass fields, I had a walk over the back of the farm to the crop fields,  the barley didn’t look far away at all, so I rang the farmer and he said the contractor sprayed it yesterday and it should be down in 2 weeks, happy days. At least I’ll be able to see things then, even the sheep that are left on the farm are not knocking the grass back enough to be able to see right along the fields 

[BenBhoy 4,706]

1 hour ago, Stavross said:

even the sheep that are left on the farm

He cutting back on numbers? We desperate to buy some ewes in but £££ ridiculous 

[Stavross 13,714]

10 hours ago, BenBhoy said:

He cutting back on numbers? We desperate to buy some ewes in but £££ ridiculous 

No, he’ll move some off the farm for local free grazing and take a cut off some of his fields, I would of thought that the early lot will have gone to the mart now, most of what was on the farm looked like gimmer lambs, I bet he’s done alright, I can never tell what’s gone, because they all look the same to me,  I’ve just had a look at a local mart sale sheet and  some spring lamb had done £145 

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I put the birds in squires pen last Thursday and they are doing very well . They had  their first wet night last night . I went to check them just before the kick off for the England game , I tucked them all in gave them all a mug of co co and read them their favourite story . All seemed well . 
          I turned up this morning at just after 5.0am , I always quickly assess the look of the pen and quickly do a circuit around the perimeter to check for kills . I drove around the back of the pen which looks up onto the side of a huge bank to see if I could spot a fox running off . As I was scanning the bank with my Binoculars I heard the birds making a racket, I quickly spun the mule around and headed back to the other side of the pen . As I did I could see a fox heading towards me with a poult in its mouth, it was completely oblivious to my presence and I was able to get my .243 onto the bipods and ready for a shot . It disappeared behind an bramble but soon reappeared and I  shouted “oi” . that was him done . A dog fox . I went to check the grass in front of the pen and picked up another 4 dead poults , these birds were stiff and cold , so it’s been going on all night  . As I was looking for dead birds I saw another fox jink into the hedge ….. bugger !!! I will set some snares in that hedge today  , but I think I will have to double my efforts and sit out with the thermal . I can’t have the worry that comes with a poult killer around the pen .

[BenBhoy 4,706]

40 minutes ago, shovel leaner said:

I put the birds in squires pen last Thursday and they are doing very well . They had  their first wet night last night . I went to check them just before the kick off for the England game , I tucked them all in gave them all a mug of co co and read them their favourite story . All seemed well . 
          I turned up this morning at just after 5.0am , I always quickly assess the look of the pen and quickly do a circuit around the perimeter to check for kills . I drove around the back of the pen which looks up onto the side of a huge bank to see if I could spot a fox running off . As I was scanning the bank with my Binoculars I heard the birds making a racket, I quickly spun the mule around and headed back to the other side of the pen . As I did I could see a fox heading towards me with a poult in its mouth, it was completely oblivious to my presence and I was able to get my .243 onto the bipods and ready for a shot . It disappeared behind an bramble but soon reappeared and I  shouted “oi” . that was him done . A dog fox . I went to check the grass in front of the pen and picked up another 4 dead poults , these birds were stiff and cold , so it’s been going on all night  . As I was looking for dead birds I saw another fox jink into the hedge ….. bugger !!! I will set some snares in that hedge today  , but I think I will have to double my efforts and sit out with the thermal . I can’t have the worry that comes with a poult killer around the pen .

That's a bugger mate. At least you got that one first available, cheeky twať! 

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Hope you nail the other one tonight

[shovel leaner 7,648]

I had an interesting evening. I had a FriendFeed to watch over the pen early evening in case the fox turned back up while I had my dinner ( spaghetti Bol) I said to my Mrs “ are you serious? Italian food , after last night!!!” “ oh I didn’t think of that” . Anyway I digress, so I returned and took over watching the pen at about 9.30pm I watched two badgers playing around a few roe and muntjac, but no foxes until I spotted something moving about in the long grass , was it a fox or a badger it was hard to tell . I kept watching with the thermal and then I heard something next to me I spun the thermal around and a fox was trotting past me it disappeared behind a tree , but as soon as it reappeared I , in Tony Montana style “say hello to my little friend the 50 grain VMAX “!  But I still wasn’t sure what the heat source in the long grass was so I kept looking. As I did I spotted another fox close to dead one , it kept coming towards the pen , I put the thermal down and turned on my digisight but couldn’t find the fox , I picked up the thermal but it had gone . I continued to wait , the heat source in the grass turned out as I suspected to be Brock . Now I must explain that I had tucked my mule up on top of a bank under an oak but on a slope , not at all comfortable, anyway I had my rifle on the bipods resting on the bonnet and it slipped off and landed with a bump on the grass . I thought there is no way that’s held zero , I might as well call it a night . Anyway on the way back I saw a rabbit at about 100 meters , so I thought I’d just check . I couldn’t believe it when it exploded. I went back to the yard but thought I’d check the paddocks before I locked up , a quick scan with the thermal and I spotted a fox mousing around , this field is a ridge and furrow and the fox moved into a furrow , I gave a squeak and couldn’t believe his reaction as he came hurtling towards me “oi” he stopped and down he went . When I picked him up he was a monster for these parts . I will weigh him later . 

 

[BenBhoy 4,706]

Good going mate, that's efficency!

It's amazing the damage scope will take. Couple weeks back I was head back to car about 1am after being out. Totally forgot I'd parked a bale trailer by gateway- tripped over the hitch & properly landed flat on face, rifle smacked into dusty stony floor. Checked zero & still cock on!! Only damage scratch on mod & whopping bruise on my shin!! 

[Stavross 13,714]

Good job hopefully your poults will rest a little easier

[shovel leaner 7,648]

2 hours ago, Stavross said:

Good job hopefully your poults will rest a little easier

The problem is that they haven’t all started to roost off the ground and some are still against the wire or near the edges, which leaves them vulnerable to being scared by a fox running up on the outside and flying over the wire . I didn’t do it last night , but tonight I’m going to walk up and down at roosting time and push them in a bit if I can .

[Stavross 13,714]

The  first few evenings that ours go in, we go up to the pens for that very reason, they seem to do more in the pen with less cover but if we walk the fence they push further in and get off the ground, they are thick as sh*t

[FOXHUNTER 5,020]

Well done SL ...as said scopes can take a hell of a knock that is why I always laugh to myself when a shot is missed and the guy blames the scope must have been bumped In my experience it tends to be human error . I remember one night I was climbing over a gate and when I was at the top my sling snapped and the rifle bounced off the ground on to some rocks , like you I thought scope would be out but quick check and it was Ok.